The best movies on Amazon Prime Video New Zealand

Amazon Prime Video has a large and eclectic range of movies available to stream. Critic Tony Stamp lists some of the best you can make a great start with.

Back To The Future (1985)

Robert Zemeckis’ 1985 classic is the platonic ideal of a Hollywood Blockbuster, a model of setup and payoff that’s supremely satisfying. The buoyant direction and winning performances from Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd are so good you tend to forget some of the movie’s darker elements, which are bracingly welcome.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Tough call, but this might be the Coen Brothers’ funniest film, and possibly the cult-iest of their many cult classics. A late career role for Jeff Bridges that’s so perfectly realised it wound up being career-defining, joined by Goodman, Buscemi, Moore, Turturro, Elliott and more, all giving pitch-perfect comic performances that tune into the Coen’s very specific wavelength.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Villeneuve took on the legacy of Blade Runner some 35 years after its release, with considerable help from original helmer Ridley Scott. The result feels as vast as its depiction of an alternate Los Angeles, threading new ideas through a compelling mystery, punctuated with bouts of action and crammed with superb design and effects work. It may not be a particularly optimistic vision of the future, but there is plenty of humanity here, just not always provided by actual humans.

Blue Velvet (1986)

David Lynch’s fourth feature returned to the surrealist style he pioneered in Eraserhead, which would define his work to come. Controversial on release, Blue Velvet matured into a cult classic, cementing Kyle MacLachlan as a Lynch muse and featuring outstanding turns from Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper.

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Doug Liman’s original Bourne movie cemented Matt Damon as an action star, and filmed action scenes in such a way that the Bond franchise had to correct course. The script was a cut above the action dross of the time, giving a certain blockbuster British spy a run for his money.

The Burial (2023)

A good old fashioned crowd-pleaser, The Burial is a pleasant reminder that small-scale films can be just as satisfying as your average blockbuster. Tommy Lee Jones hires flashy lawyer Jamie Foxx after falling prey to shady business practices, and the pair enact a kind of David vs Goliath retribution, while establishing an unlikely friendship. It’s a superior effort thanks to its leads’ acting chops and chemistry, and the evergreen pleasure of rooting for the underdog.

Charade (1963)

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn throw near-obscene amounts of charm at the screen in Stanley Donen’s classic screwball caper. Ten years after he helmed Singin’ in the Rain, Donen proved he was still cinematically fleet-of-foot, as Charade whips through plot twists and double crosses to dizzying effect. A gorgeously pastel romp through France led by two all-time great screen presences that’ll keep you guessing till its conclusion.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Any number of images from this movie are probably etched in your brain, thanks to the phenomenal visual prowess of Steven Spielberg, who had released the equally seminal Raiders of the Lost Ark just one year earlier. It also showed how remarkably attuned the director was to the inner lives of children, be they from earth or three million light years away.

The Idea of You (2024)

Even if the phrase “Harry Styles fanfiction” is offputting to you, there’s plenty to enjoy here. It’s rumoured that’s how Robinne Lee’s debut novel came to be, and this eventual adaptation does nothing to shy away from it, but Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer) is a smart guy, and his direction is fully in on the joke. Anne Hathaway is in magnetic movie star mode, and the movie is refreshingly adult.

The LEGO Movie (2014)

This isn’t really thought of as a twist movie, even though it has a doozy that recontextualizes everything you’ve seen up until that point. Chris Miller and Phil Lord proved again they had the chops to invest an IP property with real soul, making it very funny and sneakily meta without undermining the story’s stakes. Includes a mega voice cast of talented people, with Will Arnett’s Batman so good he got his own spinoff.

Love Lies Bleeding (2023)

Rose Glass, the director of Saint Maud, pivots from horror to crime, cooking up a queer love story that’s morally murky and occasionally shocking. Especially when it comes to Ed Harris’ mulleted hair. Kristen Stewart is as good as ever, and Katy O’Brian is a real discovery, with acting talent as powerful as her bulging biceps. The story is told with visual chutzpah and a pinch of magical realism.

Memento (2000)

Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough film established what to expect over his career: an obsession with time, presenting events out of order, and blonde-haired protagonists wearing suits. Guy Pearce can’t store recent memories, living his life in 10 minute increments as he searches for his wife’s killer. It’s an ingenious premise for a movie, which is told in reverse, and rounded out by a fantastically shifty supporting cast.

Men In Black (1997)

Agent Kay: “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it.” I’ve thought about this quote a lot during the last few years, delivered with unmatchable gruffness by Tommy Lee Jones. Will Smith matches him with supernova levels of charm, and the whole thing whips by thanks to an airtight script and fantastic SFX.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

A hangout movie featuring three of America’s biggest stars, directed by one of its most distinctive auteurs. Tarantino leans into our knowledge of the Manson crimes of 1969 and contrasts them with easygoing storytelling vibes. Things eventually take a turn, but until then this is a pure love letter to a certain section of Los Angeles.

Road House (2024)

Can’t possibly hope to match the charm of the original, but regardless we have cartoonishly jacked Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor being left to do whatever he wants, and some kinetic, computer-assisted fight scenes. Mostly though, Doug Liman is good at being breezy and entertaining, and there’s kind of a loathsome swagger to the whole thing which is repellent but weirdly compelling.

The Social Network (2010)

David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s typically incisive, journalistic look at the psychology behind the creation of Facebook only gets more relevant each year, as social media continues to influence our culture and politics. Impeccably directed and performed, with an appropriately unsettling score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to boot, and a final shot that should haunt us all.

Suspiria (2018)

Luca Guadanino wisely chose to disregard most of Dario Argento’s original Suspiria (itself a masterpiece) and focus on making something that’s equally gonzo—just in different ways. Set in 1977 (the year of the original’s release), the film sees Dakota Johnson arrive in Berlin to attend a dance academy, encountering Tilda Swinton (playing multiple roles) and some distinctly witchy goings-on. Thom Yorke’s emotional score is one of many elements that works strangely well.

Titles are added and removed from his page to reflect changes to the Prime Video catalogue. Reviews no longer available on this page can be found here.